Sooo Pinoy in Davao City at The Ritz Hotel at Garden Oases

It was this Pinakbet with Lechon Kawali in Gata that got my attention when food started coming out from the kitchen of The Ritz Hotel at Garden Oases in Davao City. Aptly named since the place has integrated a lot of greenery into its surroundings aside from offering the comforts and amenities for the business and leisure travellers. It is just a 20-minute drive to the Davao International Airport and it is located within the business, commercial and center leisure spots in Davao City.

I was part of Sooo Pinoy, Food Trip na Pilipinas! which is set to visit 300 restaurants in 10 key regions/areas in 10 months all over the Philippines. Davao is the 4th food stop after Iloilo, Boracay and Cebu that started last March. The goal of the Food Trip is to show that Filipino dishes per region have different identities based on the culture, lifestyle and history of the area. The Food Trip also aims to show that there are many Filipino recipes from different regions of the Philippines, each having its own specialty that has to be recognized for the unique flavor it adds to the Filipino Cuisine.

After some courtesies with the staff and chefs who joined us, out came one of their specialties - Kinilaw na Malasugi. Just by looking at it - it was more like a salad rather than kinilaw because of the many vegetables it came with. I don't have to complain since it looked and tasted good. The chef explained how the kinialw came to be - slice the fish, place vinegar, add calamansi, mix with radish, cucumber, onion,ginger,pepper and carrots then add seasonings like vetsin, salt and patis (fish sauce).

They also tickled our palates with their version of bulalo - slow boiled beef shanks with carrots, pechay, potatoes and sliced corn on the cob. It was a breather to have some savory hot soup and even that hot afternoon it was a "refreshing" break from al the food we've been digesting for the past days.

And finally, we go back to where I've started - Pinakbet with Lechon Kawali in Gata. A fusion of Ilocano and Bicol specialties with a Davao twist - no there's no pomelo, if that's the twist you're looking for. It was simple enjoying the best of many worlds all in one plate - pinakbet, coconut milk and lechon kawali.

How's that for a perfect ending to our Oases food trip at The Ritz? Surely, its one Sooo Pinoy afternoon we had in Davao City at the garden Oases.

Filipinos are encouraged to join and support the Sooo Pinoy movement, a partnership between Unilever Food Solutions and the Department of Tourism, and go on a gastronomic adventure that both fills the stomach and enriches our awareness of our own identity. To know more about the campaign, food lovers are invited to like the Sooo Pinoy page on Facebook and follow @SoooPinoy on Twitter

Sooo Pinoy Epic DAVAO Food Trip: June 25-29, 2012

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FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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